Captive
by foeniks
Summary: Renowned bounty hunter, of feudal times, Edward Cullen, has been given the task of returning the runaway Bella Swan who has escaped an arranged marriage to the sadistic Lord Marcus. Finding and capturing her is an easy enough task, but keeping her from capturing his heart proves to be far more difficult than Edward anticipates. Cheesy synopsis I know, but the story won't be!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

Finding her ended up being almost painfully easy. Lord Marcus may well have saved his money by sending a dog with a scout. But he seemed suspiciously intent on having her returned, though by the looks of her, Edward Cullen couldn't understand why. She looked bland and was in no way outstanding. In fact, the only thing outstanding about her was her alarming lack of skill in covering her tracks. She may as well have been screaming out her locations per each step.

Edward bent down to take a closer look at the sleeping form of Isabella Swan, the head for his bounty. She was covered from head to toe in dirt, smudged all over her face and on her simple brown dress. She looked to have long brown hair that also housed a few twigs. Again, he couldn't fathom why there was such a large bounty on such a common girl. But it was not his job to question or wonder, it was his job to return her and collect his reward.

So he moved around to make his preparations on his horse to carry her back. If he rode hard enough, he may finish the job and return home by sundown.

WHACK!

Edward heard the sound of attack before actually feeling the extremely sharp pain penetrating through his shoulders. Then he heard a girl's whimper.

"I-I know how to defend myself, I'm warning you. It's best that you leave now, and leave your horse here as well." For a pint-sized woman, she was rather audacious demanding his his horse, under the circumstances.

Edward slowly turned around while rubbing his shoulders with a pained expression. He saw the girl standing with her feet wide apart, looking for all the world like a terrified child, but still holding firmly to that damned stick she used as a weapon. It was disappointingly small. "I'm here to return you to the castle. You will leave with me without protest or I will drag you. Either way you are to be returned. Am I understood?"

"Yes...I will go willingly." Bella slowly lowered her weapon, looking instantly defeated and resigned.

Edward was surprised she did not express complaint and turned around to finish harnessing his horse.

WHACK.

That one hit his head. Edward saw white but was still sound enough to hear her quickly scurrying steps that grew quieter with each moment he took to reorient himself.

Dragging it was then.

******Hello! This is my first Twilight fic, hope you all enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW PLEASE PLEASE. I will generally try to update at least several times a week or more (I'm gonna try for a Monday-Friday schedule).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

Bella could feel the burn in her throat as she ran harder than she had ever run. Her damn dress was hampering her movement however. She desperately searched for a place to hide, knowing it wouldn't be long before the man came to his senses and gave chase. Given his lean frame and height-he was a good head taller than her-his long legs would surely catch up to her in no time.

_Focus_, she told herself. Her life depended on her finding a place to hide. She absolutely could not return to the castle. Unfortunately, her lack of luck and lack of directional ability seemed to be finding her nothing. She simply kept running forward but everything looked exactly the same in this forest. There were just trees everywhere. She briefly contemplated whether she ought to run in a random zig-zag direction to throw him off but decided against it. With her luck, she would end up running back to him.

Bella could feel her body slowing down and her desperation grow. Just as she was cursing herself for not riding off on his horse while he was disoriented, she heard the hooves of said horse coming up behind her at what seemed like an easy canter. _Was she moving that slowly?_

As she felt a violent yanking of her middle area that literally took her last remaining breath out of her, Bella could only think of her impending doom. She saw the world twirl a bit and felt herself getting sick, though whether it was from the thought of going back or the swirl her tired body took, she didn't know.

She soon found herself hoisted atop the man's horse and over his lap, with his right arm tightly wound around her middle. Not that she would even dream of jumping off at this point. She would surely be trampled by this large beast. But perhaps that would be a better fate than to go back to that bastard. Bella shook her head and focused on escaping. It was her forté after all.

She decided to try begging first. "Please, I beg of you please, you must let me go! You don't know, they'll kill me if you take me back! Please, sir, have mercy!"

Edward simply swung his horse around and started on the trek back to the castle, ignoring her laments. He kept his horse Aston at an easy canter, not wanting to unnecessarily tire him. At this pace, they would still make it to the castle before the day was over.

"Please sir, are you even listening to me?!" Bella was ready to wring his head, though it was difficult enough just to speak on a bumpy horse.

Edward continued to ignore her. Through past experience, he had learned that ignoring his targets usually worked best in discouraging them from speaking, especially to bargain for their release.

Bella realized begging might not work. She looked at her captor fearfully. He had a head of messy short hair of a bronze shade. His features were literally striking, all complementary angles and sharp edges from his cheekbones to his nose. She would've described him as very handsome were it not for the coldness in his face that made his features severe. And for the fact that he was kidnapping her and taking her to the one place she wished to flee.

His impassive pale face gave away nothing. If she could not appeal to his emotions, her only other option was to either threaten him or offer a greater reward. Taking in a deep breath, she switched tactics.

**Please R/R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this, but it seems I have no other choice. I don't think you realize just who it is I am. I'm a very important and very valued person. You have committed a dire offense by taking me bodily against my will and I demand that you release me at once!" Bella would have crossed her arms to emphasize her point but decided against it in her current condition. "Furthermore, you are to leave your horse with me. If you cooperate, I will give orders to have your life spared once I return home." Bella jutted out her chin and gave her best commanding look. She hoped it did not look flimsy while she held onto him to keep from falling off.

Edward was amused despite himself. She went from begging to threatening all in the span of a minute. Yet, he still ignored her. She would stop speaking eventually, as they all did. Besides, he already knew precisely how valued she was.

"Are you listening to me? I'm speaking to you! Answer me at once!"

"…"

Bella huffed. This was exceedingly frustrating. "Look, I _know _you can hear and understand me, I heard you speak earlier!"

Well, she had him there. He usually did not speak to his targets and he wasn't entirely sure why he did this time. Perhaps he thought she would come more willingly if she understood the inevitability of her situation.

Bella blinked up at him. Had he gone mute? Or mad? Did she hit him too hard with that stick, hard enough to lose his wits? She squirmed a bit and tried to see if she could get any reaction from him at all. Bella took his hand around her middle and attempted to pry it loose.

Edward only tightened his hold and brought the girl nearer to his body. He spurred Aston to move faster.

Well at least she had a reaction. But now they were moving faster and she needed to figure out a way out of this immediately. Wracking her brain for some solution, _any _solution, she looked about the changing landscape. They were now heading out of the forest and the surrounding lands were meadows with tall grasses.

Bella thought back to her route of escape and realized with a start that they were headed towards the bridge she had crossed on her way to the forest. She remembered having difficulty crossing due to her fear of heights. Now she had a more immediate fear, having to cross on this horse with this man.

If she remembered correctly, in the few glimpses she did manage, she had seen and _felt _the bridge to be extremely weathered and old. How on earth were they going to cross without falling to their deaths in the raging river miles below?

Edward slowed his horse back to a canter to prepare for the crossing. He was just deliberating whether they ought to cross on foot or whether the bridge would hold them as is when the girl blurted out another inconvenience.

"I have to pee!"

**Please R/R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

Edward sighed, but slowed his horse further and they finally came to a stop a few feet from the bridge. Once they crossed, it would only be an hour or so before they reached the castle. He was making good on time, allowing her to relieve herself was acceptable, he thought.

He let go of her first, swung his leg around the horse and jumped down. Before Bella could do anything her grabbed her around the middle again, though not so roughly this time, and put her on the ground with ease. For a brief moment, he took note of her light weight and wondered if she had eaten since escaping. _No matter_, she would no longer be his concern in a few hours.

"Relieve yourself."

Bella quickly took a few steps away from him and towards the bridge. "You have to turn around and must not turn around under _any circumstances _until I'm finished."

To her surprise, he complied. To her delight, he moved a few steps away from the bridge, allowing her the perfect opportunity and position to execute the plan she had come up with only a moment prior.

Bella quickly turned towards the bridge and took out the long dagger she had smuggled out while escaping. She looked at the four potential bits of rope that she could cut. They were rather thick, but her dagger was the finest she could get. She quickly got down to her knees and started cutting into the rope.

Bella fervently thanked the blacksmith responsible for this piece of treasure as the ropes gave way easily under it's sharp edge. She moved towards the top two, glancing back to make sure the man had not turned around yet. Once the last piece gave way, along with the entirety of the bridge falling away from the cliff, Bella braced for impact and scrambled up, dagger pointed upwards in hand.

Edward heard a crash and whipped around to see the girl standing there wide-eyed with an impressive-looking dagger pointed towards him. Certainly not a stick. He looked to her right and saw, with increasing anger, the source of the crash. Their quickest path to the castle was now out of reach.

Before Bella could even blink, let alone react, the man had her in a vice-like grip and pushed up against a tree. He was baring her teeth at her, while her trusty dagger was lying limp elsewhere. "Stupid girl, you only delay the inevitable," he snarled.

"Did you expect me to welcome it with open arms?" Bella yelled, her mixture of anger and fear getting the better of her despite her position.

Edward blinked, surprised yet again by her unpredictability. He released her and turned towards what remained of the bridge. Cursing under his breath, he tried to think of the nearest crossing. At this rate, their way back could easily take a week or more.

**Please R/R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

Edward impatiently ran his fingers through his hair, making it even messier than it usually was. This was becoming more cumbersome than he anticipated. The next crossing was at least a fortnight's travel, and that was assuming they moved without rest. A feat _he_ could achieve, but this girl would be near-dead in his arms by the time he brought her to the castle and no good for the bounty then.

There _was_ another way…but Edward was unwilling to take that risky path. So be it then.

Bella watched him in silent contemplation, as if making a decision. Once it had seemed like he had, he turned towards her and walked with purpose. His long strides brought him before her in a matter of seconds. She backed into the tree.

"Th-there's still a bounty on my head, I'm no good to you dead," she stammered, unsure if she had finally pushed him to his limit. Her emotions made her forget sometimes that she was at the mercy of a potentially very dangerous man. "Or maimed for that matter," she added.

Edward simply yanked her by the arm and led her to Aston. Standing behind her, he placed his hands around her waist. "Put your left leg through."

Bella didn't move. Edward thought for a moment then tightened his hold around her and brought his lips next to her ear and felt her stiffen. "You have tested my patience beyond anyone has ever had the courage or stupidity to test. From this moment until I deliver you, you will obey my every command. Do you understand?"

Anger coursing through her, Bella relaxed. "I _understand._" Bella often became very brave and bold when angered. Or very foolish. But really, it was all about perspective was it not?

"You understand, but will you comply?

Bella remained silent.

Edward slowly moved his hands down towards her hips, applying more pressure as he went, again feeling her stiffen. "I need not await your response nor depend on it. I can simply do with you as I please. It's not as if you could overpower me." He pressed her slightly up against him to emphasize his point. "I daresay you will find my methods far less comfortable than if you are to comply."

Bella was very quiet for a moment. Uncharacteristically so. "You do _know _the reason you are to return me is for a marriage? For which…I am to remain…pure…"

Edward chuckled softly into her ear, making her hair dance around her face. "Don't flatter yourself m'lady. I was merely going to throw you over Aston."

With that remark leaving Bella not entirely relieved, Edward hoisted her atop the horse and followed suit. Sitting behind her, he snaked his arms around her once again and pulled on Aston's reins. Pleased that he was finally able to strike some sense of reasonable fear into her, he predicted that she would be much more compliant from this point on. A necessity considering the length he was to spend with her in close proximity.

Bella, now seated more comfortably with each leg on each side, was able to relax only to an extent. Surely he believed her bluff. She knew that Marcus could care less what form she came in as long as she was there. That bastard was only interested in one thing. But this man didn't need to know that. With a renewed sense of urgency, Bella focused on her next plan of escape.

**Please R/R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's except the plot.**

For the next several hours, Bella attempted to learn more about her situation. She tried several times to find out where they were headed, but to no avail. The young man had become just as silent as he was when he first snatched her up.

Finally, when it began to get darker, he decided to stop and rest for the night. And that's how Bella, now sitting cross-legged in front of the warm fire he made, found herself asking the first question that popped into her head.

"What's your name?"

His back to a tree with his knees pulled up and his arms hanging upon them, he almost looked like a carefree boy.

"Edward."

"I'm Bella, it's nice to meet you."

"Are you attempting to appeal to my humanity now?" Edward didn't know why he continued conversing with her. Maybe he was bored.

Bella watched as the light of the fire sharpened the edges of his features. He almost looked inhuman. "Is there one to appeal to?"

"What do you think?"

Bella looked him dead in the eyes as if trying to read his soul. "If I told you that I could give you double the reward for my bounty, would you let me go?"

"No." His impassive expression never changed.

"Because you don't believe me?"

"Because I entered into a contract with another before you. I do not go back on my word."

"A bounty hunter with principles, how laughably ironic." Bella humphed at that.

Quick as lightening, Edward sent his knife flying through the air past Bella, making her jump in the process.

"What was that!?" exclaimed Bella.

Edward casually stood and walked over near her to retrieve his knife. "Dinner."

Bella saw that he had also returned with a rabbit. A dead and bloody one at that. She grimaced but could not deny the pangs in her stomach. She could feel sorry for the animal later.

In no time, Edward stripped the animal of it's skin and cooked it over the fire, handing it to Bella once finished.

"You're not eating?" Bella asked.

"No." He returned to his previous position and closed his eyes with his head resting against the tree trunk.

Bella ate a hefty portion while watching Edward's breathing become even. He was asleep. If she wanted to attempt another escape, now would be it. Ever so slowly, while fixating her gaze intently upon Edward's sleeping form, Bella moved towards his horse, 'Aston' she thought he called him.

At an excruciatingly slow pace, Bella finally made it over to Aston in what seemed like an eternity. The still-cackling fire covered the crunching twigs and leaves beneath her feet.

Fortunately, Aston's reins were hanging free from any branch. Unfortunately, his intimidatingly large saddle lay near his hooves.

Bella deliberated. How far could she get on foot? Not very far, if her previous experience was anything to go by. She tried to see if she could lift the saddle without making any noise, but gave up as soon as she realized that it weighed as much as her. Even if she could lift it, there was no way she would be able to bring it over Aston's back.

She stared at Aston, having a strange feeling that he may be staring right back. "Sit," she whispered. Aston swerved his head and blinked at Bella as if she were being ludicrous. Well, at least it was worth a try, Bella thought.

In any case, it seemed like she didn't have any other choice except to hoist herself up somehow and ride bare-backed. She would simply have to hold onto Aston's hair. She grazed Aston's smooth back with her hands. Too smooth. And too high up. Bella grimaced realizing she would have to put the poor animal through some discomfort in attempting to get on top.

Well, here goes nothing.

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews everyone! **

**Also, just FYI, but I went back through and fixed up some minor typos and made a few small changes in the previous chapters. Nothing major, just cleanup. **

**Let me know what you guys think so far!**


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